As you should know by now, the job of the legislature is to make law. In order to ensure that this is done within the confines of what is acceptable to the general population, laws are passed by legislators who are then accountable to a constituency that can remove them from office in periodic elections. In this section, I want you to consider how in fact you are represented, by whom, and the manner in which the legislation that affects you is passed into law.
Internet and Lecture Students: I want you to answer two questions, each in at least 250 words.
In the first, I want you to go to "Who Represents me?" and find out who represents you. Go to their websites and provide me with specific information about how they represent you. You may wish to discuss what committees are they on, or the legislation they introduce or the public statements they make.
In the second, I want you to outline the bill making process by looking at sites above, which discuss the general bill making process, and then obtaining information about how a specific bill became a law. You can learn about the process by looking at the "How Our Laws Are Made" site above. Then pick one of public laws that can be found by clicking this link.
Week Seven
Readings, Notes, and Assignment
The Legislature: Representation and The Bill Making Process
Readings:
- The Founder's Constitution: Chapter Thirteen -- Representation. (Read the Introduction)
- The Bill Making Process in the U.S.
- The Bill Making Process in Texas-
Resources:
- The U.S. House
- The U.S. Senate
- The Texas Legislature
- The Library of Congress: Thomas
- The Texas Legislature: Who Represents Me?
- Thomas: How Our Laws Are Made.
As you should know by now, the job of the legislature is to make law. In order to ensure that this is done within the confines of what is acceptable to the general population, laws are passed by legislators who are then accountable to a constituency that can remove them from office in periodic elections. In this section, I want you to consider how in fact you are represented, by whom, and the manner in which the legislation that affects you is passed into law.
Internet and Lecture Students: I want you to answer two questions, each in at least 250 words.
In the first, I want you to go to "Who Represents me?" and find out who represents you. Go to their websites and provide me with specific information about how they represent you. You may wish to discuss what committees are they on, or the legislation they introduce or the public statements they make.
In the second, I want you to outline the bill making process by looking at sites above, which discuss the general bill making process, and then obtaining information about how a specific bill became a law. You can learn about the process by looking at the "How Our Laws Are Made" site above. Then pick one of public laws that can be found by clicking this link.